Draft press pack
“SPIVS”
Starring:
KEN STOTT
NICK MORAN
JACK DEE
DOMINIC MONAGHAN
KATE ASHFIELD
PAUL KAYE
Directed by
Colin Teague
Written by Gary Young
and Colin Teague
From an original story
by Mike Loveday
Opening: September
Cert. 15 (TBC)
Running time: 91 minutes
Further details:
Pete Daly, ppetedaly@, 07887 990035
Geraldine Moloney, gmoloney@, 07802 157516
Matador PicturesCarnaby Productions
and
Zodiac Pictures
present
“SPIVSCHAOS AND CADAVERS”
Directed by
Colin TeagueNiklaus Hilber
Written by Niklaus Hilber and Drew BirdGary Young
and Colin Teague
From an original story
by Mike Loveday
Cert. 15 (TBC)
Running time: 90 minutes
Further details:
Pete Daly, ppetedaly@, 07887 990035
Geraldine Moloney, gmoloney@, 07802 157516
AprilAugust 2003
Contacts: Nigel Thomas/Peter Watson-WoodAnya Noakes (Unit Publicist)
Matador Pictures
Tel + 44 20 7483 2005(1483) 472332
Hamish Skeggs (Producer)Lukas Hobi
Carnaby ProductionsZodiac Pictures International Ltd.
Tel + 44 20 7836 803141 41 211 2202
“SPIVSCHAOS & CADAVERS”
Introduction
“You can’t cheat an honest man…”
‘SPIVS’ is a comical, heart-warming story of con artists, infectious charm, find-the-lady - and how it can all go horribly wrong. In his bespoke suit and flash Mercedes, Jack (KEN STOTT, “The Debt Collector”, “Plunkett & Macleane”, “Shallow Grave”) is cut from pure East End cloth, a confidentn aristocrat amongst confidence men. Never lost for words, living he lives off his wits; and playing the short con game has been good to him. With edgy, and charming right-hand man Steve (NICK MORAN, “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”), Jack runs a formidable team of quick-witted and clever con artists. This includes the including sharp, sexy and , streetwise the ambitious Jenny (KATE ASHFIELD, “The War Zone”, “Late Night Shopping”is Little Life”), a sharp, sexy, streetwise young woman – and the ineffectual, “‘bloody hopeless’”, dope-smokingweaselly-looking Goat (DOMINIC MONAGHAN, )“The Lord of the Rings Trilogy”). They all operate by the age oldage-old Spiv mantra: “You can’t cheat an honest man”.
Keeping the team on track and making sure Steve’s mind is focussed on the play (not on Jenny’s form) is the only trouble for Jack – until a simple jobjob goes wrong and they are lumbered with a truck full of illegal immigrants destined for the sex trade, instead of the expected contraband. While most of the illegals scarper, two of them, (a scruffy small girl and her frightened younger brother), are left in Jack’s reluctant charge. But thenWhat’s worse, the truck’s original ownerthe Eastern European who organised the illegals sets out on a bloody vendetta, determined to wreak revenge for the loss of his precious cargo…
A Carnaby Productions production, SPIVS also stars JACK DEE, LINDA BASSETT (“The Hours”), ELIZABETH BERRINGTON (“Secrets and Lies”), PAUL KAYE (“Black Ball”) and ROSHAN SETH (“Monsoon Wedding”). The film is directed by COLIN TEAGUE (“Shooters”), who co-writes with GARY YOUNG from an original story by Executive Producer MIKE LOVEDAY. SPIVS is produced by Hamish Skeggs (“Baby Juice Express”). Filming took place over five weeks on location around London’s East End and at Three Mills Studios.
“SPIVS”
SYNOPSIS
At a luxury hotel near the racecourse Jack Pike (KEN STOTT), an aristocrat amongst confidence men, dons his hand-stitched suit and prepares for business. He has arranged to meet the gullible O’Brien (PAUL KAYE) at the racecourse. and, w With the help of his right-hand man Steve (NICK MORAN), he succeeds in selling him some dud computercashpoint cards. For
The their next scam involvesthe pair need a van, whichwhich Steve is borrowingarranges to borrow from his dope-head brother-in-law Goat (DOMINIC MONAGHAN). But, not for the first time, Goat has screwed up – and only some smooth talking by Jack saves the vehicle.
Only the keys are being held hostage by an irate punter for whom Goat has done some dodgy decorating. Meanwhile another gang member, sexy and ambitious Jenny (KATE ASHFIELD), arrives at a struggling haulage company. gang member Jenny (KATE ASHFIELD), in dark wig and sexy business suit, is ready to distract tThe hapless company owner Nigel (JACK DEE) has just taken on some . He is busy with two tough looking businessmen partners, - Villa (TAMER HASSAN) and his Associate #1 (DEREK LEA). Posing as a coffee-maker sales rep, but obviously offering more than a cappuccino, Jenny nonetheless manages to persuade Nigel to join her for a drink. She also persuades him to switch off his mobile so they won’t be disturbed.
Minutes later Jack and Steve arrive at the firm posing as repossession men from a finance companyNigel’s flustered secretary (ELIZABETH BERRINGTON) is on the phone to a finance company. The rest of the gang, in disguise, are repossessing Nigel’s assets. This gives Steve the opportunity to. They fill Goat’s van with the contents of the office, and also steal some duplicate lorry keys. Jenny helps over her mobile, successfully posing as Western Finance. She then joins Nigel and persuades him to switch off his mobile. Some time later, the worse for wear, he returns to an office stripped bare.
So not only does Nigel return to cleared office, but unbeknownst to him the con continues that night. As Jenny tries to distract the driver (which proves difficult as he is more of a “man’s man”) the gang use the duplicate keys to “borrow” the lorry and divest it of the contents (which Steve has heard is valuable contraband). The gang open the back of the lorry – and are confronted by a sea of tired and filthy faces. The truck is carrying illegal immigrants who scatter in every direction. Dazed, the con men realise that they’ve got themselves into something a bit more dangerous than their usual scams.
It’s time for Jenny’s next disguise; her task is to distract the driver of the lorry. But she’s getting restless, eager to move on to more ambitious cons. As night falls, Goat is having problems starting the lorry and Jenny realises that the driver, unlike Steve, is immune to her charms. The gang finally open the back of the lorry expecting contraband – and are confronted by a sea of tired and filthy faces. The truck is carrying illegal immigrants who scatter in every direction. Dazed, the spivs realise the enormity of what they’ve got themselves into.
ThenWorse is to follow. , c Cowering in the back of the van are , they spy two small Albanian children.. T The feisty little girl, Rosanna (RITA ORA), brandishes a knife whilst her brother Anton (CHRISTOS ZENONOS) knees Goat in the groin. Jack bundles the children into his car and determines to dump them at the roadside in the pouring rain; but her desperate sobs soon win him over. R.
Reluctantlyeluctantly, Jack takes the famished and filthy children to his bemused cousin Vee’s (LINDA BASSETT). who still lives in the house he grew up in. Jack slips moodily into an upstairs room as good and bad memories unfold of his Uncle Frank, the consummate spiv. Vee tells Jack that it’s time to give up the spiv lifestyle or he’ll end up sad and lonely. That night, Anton steals a roll of notes from Jack’s jacket.
The following morning at the haulage company, Nigel is trying to sort out the terrible mess with his insurance company when athe furious Mr Villa turns up. Meanwhile Steve is in a smart hotel, sadly waiting for a call from Jack. When Jack does ring, it’s to say that they’re in big trouble, with real gangsters. His orders are to lay off any scams for a while, let the dust die down.
But Jenny is already frustrated by Jack’s lack of ambition and the small jobs they are pulling. JennyShe orders room service and invites Steve to join her. She wandersWandering around the room seductively in bra and knickers, only too conscious of the effect she is having on him. , Then Jack calls. They’re to lay off any scams for a while. Steve is convinced it’s all over. But Jennyshe reveals has otherher plans and pulls out a suitcase of fake Euros, ready to play the Gold Brick.
Jack and the kids drive to a bustling East End street market . Whilst Goat is selling dodgy dope to a punter (COLIN TEAGUE) who asks a few too many questions about Steve and the gang, Jack goes in search of Omar (ROSHAN SETH), who speaks Albanian and will be able to talk to the children. He is confronted by an angry but still gullible O’Brien but easily . Jack fobs him off with a fake signet ring. Rosanna shows Jack a photograph of her sister Sonya, taken in Victoria Park in the East End. As it’s their only lead they go to the park. While waiting for a chance appearance of their sister Jack teaches the kids to play Find-the-Lady. It’s going to be a long wait.
In the hotel lobby, Jenny and Steve are looking for a suitable mark. BingoIt doesn’t take long to spot a fool who needs to be parted from his money. She moves in for the kill. Then Rosanna shows Jack a photograph of her sister Sonya, taken in Victoria Park in the East End. As Jenny, Steve and Associate #2 (DAVID GANT) eat an exquisite meal, Jack and the children munch on hot-dogs and he teaches them to play the Find-the-Lady card trick on the steps of the park’s monument. It’s going to be a long wait.
Steve finally gets hold of Jack and tells him they’re about to lay “the gold brick” (a complicated con involving fake money, much bigger than the gang usually embark on). Jack tells him it’s too risky; they’ve upset some really heavy people. But for the scam to work they need a third person. , f Filled with adrenaline, Steve asksdemands he him to meets them at the hotel later. Jack determines to abandon the exhausted children in the park, but his heart melts and he scoops them up and takes them with him to the hotel where Steve spies them in the lobby.
Champagne corks pop as Steve and Jenny move in for the final part of their plan in the hotel room – exchanging the money with their “mark” before the third person (Jack) storms in with false police id and confiscates the lot. Then a knock on the door reveals a terrified Nigel and the stony-faced Mr Villa. Nigel identifies Jenny. A few minutes lady, Jack prepares to go next door as arranged armed with a fake id. ButWhen Jack arrives the room is dark and empty. He tentatively enters the bathroom - and reels back in horror. Jenny and Steve lie lifeless, shot through the head. With stunned incomprehension, Jack fumbles out of the room - he and the children are in terrible danger.r…
“SPIVS”
Synopsis
“SPIVS”
“SPIVS”
THE CHARACTERS
Jack (KEN STOTT)
A lone wolf in a hand-stitched suit, Jack Pike is an aristocrat amongst confidence men. Elegant, suave, charming with a quick mind and ruthless devotion to the s‘Short cCon.’
Steve (NICK MORAN)
Steve is Jack’s protégé and running partner. HWorking class, edgy withe has an infectious easy charm and hunger for the high life.
Goat (DOMINIC MONAGHAN)
Steve’s bother-in-law Goat is a Joker in the pack who spends most of his time in a haze of marijuana. He’s aA constant source of irritation for both Jack and Steve, the two throw Goat a bone when needs musbut family’s family!
t.
Jenny (KATE ASHFIELD)
Brimming with confidence and a burning ambition to play the ‘Llong cCon’, Jenny is a mistress of disguise. Using her good looks to get what she wants, Jenny distracts the ‘mark’ while the others move in for the kill. New to the firm, she is not above playing Steve for her own ends.
Rosanna (RITA ORA)
Twelve-year-old Rosanna will defend herself and her brother to the end. Resilient and resourceful, the illegal immigrant has just one goal, to be reunited with her older sister in London.
Anton (CHRISTOS ZENONOS)
Ten-year-old Anton Ais a tough little nut who can put up a good fight, ten-year-old Anton is scruffy, grimy and smeared in dirt. He clings to his big sister Rosanna for dear life and hangs on her every word. Together the two-orphaned children gradually begin to melt Jack’s cynical heart.
Nigel (JACK DEE)
The owner of a haulage company, Nigel is an ordinary, unassuming, married man who is easily seduced by Jenny’s winning charms. Out of his depth, he has found himself attached to a band of smugglers whose trade in contraband turns out to be something altogether morevery sinister than a lorry load of booze or fags.
Vee (LINDA BASSETT)
Vee is Jack’s only living relative, a warm and good-hearted woman concerned about Jack’s well being. Vee warns Jack that he is in danger of dying a sad and lonely old man like his Uncle Frank, with nothing to show for his life on the grift.
O’Brien (PAUL KAYE)
With a curious slicked up hairdo and an unfortunate lisp, O’Brien is ripe for the Spiv. Taken for a ride by Jack more than once, fortune only favours the brave… but never the foolish.
THE CHARACTERS
Jack (KEN STOTT)
Anton (CHRISTOS ZENONOS)
Rosanna (RITA ORA)
Steve (NICK MORAN)
Goat (DOMINIC MONAGHAN)
Jenny (KATE ASHFIELD)
Nigel (JACK DEE)
Villa (TAMER HASSAN)
Vee (LINDA BASSETT)
Nigel’s Secretary (ELIZABETH BERRINGTON)
O’Brien (PAUL KAYE)
Omar (ROSHAN SETH)
“SPIVS”
WHAT IS A SPIV?
spiv n. Brit. Slang. A person who make a living by underhand dealings or swindling; black marketeer [C20: back formation from dialect spiving smart]
A person living by his wits without regular work; one who engages in petty black market dealing. [20th c; origin unknown].
There is a suggestion that the word SPIV is back-slang deriving from VIPs or Very Important Person. The word is a characteristically English colloquial term. A spiv was typically a flashily dressed man – velvet collars and lurid kipper ties – who made a living by various disreputable dealings, existing by his wits rather than by holding down a job. Another name was wide-boy, as in sharp-witted or skilled in sharp practice. He was a small-time crook living on the fringes of real criminality.
The spiv is most strongly associated with the period during and immediately after the Second World War in Britain; he always seemed able to get those coveted luxury items that were unobtainable in that period of austerity except on the black market, such as nylons. Private Walker in the BBC Television series DAD’S ARMY was a typical spiv; Arthur Daley, the second-hand car dealer in MINDER derived from them.
The origins of the term remain unknown. Its first known use in print was in 1934: “Spiv, petty crook who will turn his hand to anything so long as it does not involve honest work.” It was also rumoured to be a police acronym for ‘Suspected Persons and Itinerant Vagrants.’ The more usual explanation is that it comes from a dialect word ‘spiving’ meaning smart, a spiff, a well-dressed man. But Jonathon Green in THE CASSELL DICTIONARY OF SLANG suggests a source in the Romany ‘spiv’, a sparrow, which was used by gypsies ‘as a derogatory reference to those who existed by picking up the leavings of their betters, criminal and legitimate.’
“SPIVS”
Production notes
spiv n. Brit. Slang. A person who make a living by underhand dealings or swindling; black marketeer [C20: back formation from dialect spiving smart]
A person living by his wits without regular work; one who engages in petty black market dealing. [20th c.; origin unknown].
Producer HAMISH SKEGGS
BACKGROUND:
The original script for SPIVS was written by Executive Producer Mike Loveday who drew on his own East End background for the story: “We at Carnaby were looking for something novel, new and different. I was born and bred in the East End of London where there were lots of spivs around and I knew a lot of them, they were terrific characters. There was a massive influx of Romany gypsies before and after the war in and around south east London who dealt in scrap iron and rags and the word spiv in Romany is sparrow, living off the pickings and crumbs of humanity like cockney sparrows.”
Hamish Skeggs, who produced Carnaby’s first production LIGHTHOUSE HILL starring Jason Flemyng, Maureen Lipman and Frank Finlay, and who line produced such films as THE BABY JUICE EXPRESS and AIME TON PERE starring Gerard Depardieu, was looking for a new film to produce when the Directors of Carnaby came to him with the original screenplay for SPIVS.
Mike explained to Hamish - who is a New Zealander - that the traditional image of a Spiv evolved as a direct result of rationing from World War II: “A Sspiv was the shady character, often dressed in a pin-stripe suit and trilby hat, who could obtain the unobtainable, for a ‘tidy’ profit. This character has evolved over the years into a loveable rogue and has been frequently portrayed in films and television programmes by characters such as Arthur Daley in MINDER and Del Boy in ONLY FOOLS AND HORSE. They spend their lives buying, selling, wheeling and dealing. They live off their wits, dealing without conscience, safe in the knowledge that ‘You can’t cheat an honest man.’”
Hamish liked the humour of the script and could see that it also had a lot of dramatic potential: “The original idea for SPIVS was dealing with the problem of illegal immigration. The issue of human slavery is pretty serious, so we needed to balance the drama with comedy and that had to be handled delicately and hopefully in a way that would help people to understand the issues involved.”
Hamish began to look for someone who could develop the script. It didn’t take him long. He met writer and director Colin Teague at the Marrakesh Film Festival where his first feature film SHOOTERS was being screened, and felt he was just the man for the job. Colin elaborates: “SHOOTERS was pretty much a boys’ ‘shoot-‘em-up’, a modern day Walter Hill film, pretty grim and relentless and in-your-face. It made you repulse against the supposedly cool drug and gun culture in London. A nasty little gangster film, we called it.
“Hamish saw my movie and then gave me the script for SPIVS and asked if I might take a look at it. It needed quite a bit of work, but had loads of potential. I asked if I could go off with my co-writer Gary and develop the idea.”
The two began to bounce ideas around: “Mike Loveday’s original script was essentially a selection of events and pub jokes and stories, but we were drawn in by the idea of an older conman who, after meeting two immigrant children, finds a heart. He’s not a loveable East End cockney geezer, he’s not an Arthur Daley, not your David Jason from ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES but, like most conmen, he’s a loner without a real family base. We wanted to find out about his background, his relationships, his uncle who was the consummate spiv.”
However, it was going to take a fair bit of research: “As two non-Eastenders – I’m from Amersham in Buckinghamshire, Gary is from Newcastle - we realized we would have to con people to some extent ourselves. When we were given the script neither of us even really knew what a spiv was so we went to the local library and found a book called THE BIG CON. It covers aspects of being a conman, including the long con, short con, the gold brick, the foot race, what is a mark or an apple or the person who’s being conned.
Gary explains: “The book was full of information on old style cons and con-speak and the film is littered with references to genuine cons. For example we based the credit card con on an old con called the money box where you convince someone you can create something from nothing. We modernized that to the hole in the wall cash machine. But we totally invented the con speak of the movie. I’m a big fan of David Mamet who writes dialogue like poetry and it was fun for me as a writer to create this language that sounds real but was their own world.”
Colin elaborates: “We also took out a dictionary of slang which was a good reference point for us. We used some of that authentic slang but then we decided to put in some of our own as well. Expressions like “What do you think I am - a ****ing meat puppet?” is invented, as is “My arse is dragging…” So we’re about 40% accurate, 60% of us is conning the audience…”
THE BIG CON by David W Maurer, was first published in 1940. He described conmen as “suave, slick, capable”, continuing: “The big con is the game of an elite. If the short con is an anecdote, the long con is a novel. Essentially a short con involves taking the pigeon for all the money he has on his person, while the big con sends him home to get more. What all confidence games have in common is that they employ the victim’s greed as a lever… Although the confidence man is sometimes classed with professional thieves, pickpockets and gamblers, he is really not a thief at all because he does no actual stealing. The trusting victim literally thrusts a fat bank roll into his hands.”
With the street patter sorted, the script soon developed in other quite unexpected ways, as Colin explains: “Initially you might think it’s a con film and therefore by association about gangsters, but within twenty minutes you realize you’ve been conned yourself as the whole tone and pace of the movie changes. It suddenly starts tackling the very current issues of illegal immigration and asylum seekers. Through that our lead goes on his own journey of self discovery through meeting the two orphaned immigrant children. He realizes he can have a life outside his usual environment, there is hope for the future.”
Gary explains how he and Colin further con the audience: “For the first twenty minutes we are conning them into thinking that it is about a cheeky chappy, guys on the dodge, and then suddenly, snap, we play sleight of hand and we do that twice in the film, which is hard to pull off but I think it works because it is believable.”
Hamish really liked the distinct change in tone: “Films have certain structural layers, but this script draws the audience into thinking that it’s a slight comedy like THE GRIFTERS, but then it becomes a human drama, although still shot through with comedy.”
Casting was soon underway, as Hamish explains: “We were looking for a real character who would give the film a soul. We found him in Ken Stott.” The talented Scottish actor is particularly well known for feature films such as FEVER PITCH and SHALLOW GRAVE and the television series TAKIN’ OVER THE ASYLUM and THE VICE. Mike Loveday laughs: “As a man born and bred within the sound of the Bow bells, when I first spoke to Ken with his soft Edinburgh accent I was worried, but he told me to give him a chance and I have been so impressed. He’s done an excellent job – although I suspect he’s been studying Michael Caine!”
Ken was quickly joined by Nick Moran of LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS, Kate Ashfield of THE WAR ZONE and LATE NIGHT SHOPPING and Dominic Monaghan who plays Meriadoc Brandybuck, the tallest of the hobbits, in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. Other parts are played by Linda Bassett of THE HOURS and EAST IS EAST, Elizabeth Berrington of SECRETS AND LIES and Roshan Seth of MONSOON WEDDING.
The casting of the two small children was going to be very important indeed, as Hamish explains: “Our casting agent Chloe Emmerson - who had recently cast PURE - looked around all the embassies – Sicilian, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Albanian, and found two perfect children. Rita Ora is Albanian by birth and is fluent in the language, whilst Christos Zenonos is a Greek Cypriot. He doesn’t speak in the film but expresses everything with his face.”
The film is also notable for appearances by two well known comedians. Stand-up comedian Jack Dee, in his first feature film role, plays Nigel, the hapless owner of the haulage company who quickly finds himself out of his depth. Hamish comments: “He is a complete natural and his timing is perfect. He’s an innocent looking guy with the most fantastic delivery. He gets himself into a whole lot of trouble. Comedian Paul Kaye, perhaps best known for his alter ego Dennis Pennis also appears in the film and finds himself well and truly spivved.”
Writer/Director COLIN TEAGUE
Casting:
KEN STOTT
plays Jack
Ken Stott was born in Edinburgh to a Sicilian mother and a Scottish father. After attending Mountview Theatre School, Ken spent some time with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. But recognition was slow in coming and for seven years he sold double glazing to make ends meet. Then he won his first lead role at the age of thirty in THROUGH THE LEAVES at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, and his career really took off. Since then Ken has consistently captivated theatre and television audiences, quickly establishing a reputation as one of Britain’s finest performers.
His depiction of an alcoholic hospital DJ in the acclaimed black comedy TAKIN’ OVER THE ASYLUM in 1995 brought Ken firmly to the attention of television audiences, but he gained real recognition with lead roles in ITV’s THE VICE, now in its fifth series, and the BBC dramas VICIOUS CIRCLE, DOCKERS and an outstanding performance in the thriller MESSIAH. Other television appearances include: PROMOTED TO GLORY, THE KEY, THE BEGGAR’S OPERA, THE SINGING DETECTIVE, YOUR CHEATIN’ HEART, SILENT WITNESS, STONE, SCISSORS, PAPER, A MUG’S GAME and RHODES.
Ken has built up his film career from thirty seconds screen time as a sixteenth century Spaniard in BEING HUMAN and a small part in SHALLOW GRAVE to co-starring with Billy Connolly in THE DEBT COLLECTOR in a part written expressly for him, by way of roles in FEVER PITCH, THE BOXER and PLUNKETT AND MACLEANE. His most recent film appearances include I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD.
Ken Stott was cast as Jack Pike, the middle-aged conman, the loner who works occasionally with other people, without a family of his own. Gary Young felt the casting of Ken in the lead role was exactly right: “You can write the most wonderful scenes and amazing dialogue and a great actor like Ken makes your work sing. He has an extraordinary quality; he has a toughness but there’s a soul inside there; he has lived but there is a vulnerability with him. You quickly sympathise with the characters and they break your heart.”
Ken is a well known Scotsman, although this is not the first time he has played an Eastender: “Some time ago I played a chap called Barney Barnato who was a rival of Cecil Rhodes who was an East End Jew who made his money in the diamond trade in Zimbabwe. His wife was black, his servants white.”
He was delighted to play Jack: “It’s a charming gem of a script, with humour and pathos. These seemingly lovable East End rogues get into a surprising amount of trouble. My character, Jack Pike, is not a gangster, he’s a shark and he and his men do nothing that is serious. Jack has a philosophy that if you just take a little bit of money from someone he might be hurt by it, but he’ll recover, he’ll have a good story to tell his chums, but if you take his life savings, he’ll come after you with everything he’s got.”
But then Jack and his small team suddenly find themselves way out of their depth: “They’re cutting into a truckload of what they think is contraband, cigarettes and so on, but when they open it up, out pour a load of illegal immigrants. Most of them rush past, leaving a 12-year-old Albanian girl and her 10-year-old brother behind. Jack spends most of the movie trying to shake them off, yet he becomes responsible for them. He goes on quite an emotional journey and in the end he becomes a reluctant father figure.”
Jack himself had no father: “Jack’s dad was killed during the war and he was brought up by his uncle Frank, a real spiv. However, Steve is like a son to him, he looks after him. Jenny he takes on reluctantly, because she is a girl and she is also very beautiful. He knows she is going to get in the way and mess things up between them. She gets off on danger, which goes against everything he was brought up to believe. You make small hits, you make them often and you get away with it. Goat on the other hand is a liability, he gets in the way, he’s a blithering idiot.”
Filming took place over just five weeks on location in the East End of London and at Three Mills Studios in Bow: “It was a tight schedule, but we had a lot of fun and I trust the director Colin implicitly.” Ken also broke the golden rule about not working with children: “Rita and Christos are awfully good and respond well to direction. Focus is the main thing, for them to get quietly in shape before the camera turns over.” Ken also had to do a turn or two around the skating rink with the children: “That was fun, although it’s thirty years since I’ve been on ice!”
The film, Ken believes, provides plenty of food for thought: “I think it’s a topical piece, with the whole asylum seeker theme. We seem to blame everything including the weather on the illegal immigrants, so if one person changes their attitude and has a more compassionate view after seeing SPIVS, then the film will have been worthwhile.”
Ken would love to work with Robert Altman, but admits that the role he would most like would be as a cartoon version of himself in THE SIMPSONS: “I’d do anything to be on that show – I’d even take my clothes off!”
NICK MORAN plays Steve
Born in London’s East End, Nick Moran trained at the Mountview Theatre School like Ken Stott. He first hit the big screen in 1990 alongside Roger Daltrey and Chesney Hawkes in BUDDY’S SONGTORY. He went on to star with Samantha Morton in a Coky Giedroyc short THE FUTURE LASTS A LONG TIME, but he is probably best remembered as ‘Eddy’ in LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS.
Other film credits include: CHAOS AND CADAVERS (lead); ASHES & SAND (lead); THE BABY JUICE EXPRESS; THE MUSKETEER; CHRISTIE MALRY’S OWN DOUBLE ENTRY (lead); ANOTHER LIFE (lead); RANCID ALUMINIUM; NEW BLOOD (lead opposite John Hurt); LONG TIME DEAD (lead); MISS MONDAY; THE FUTURE LASTS A LONG TIME (lead); CLANCY’S KITCHEN (lead); DON’T BE AFRAID (lead); HARD DAYS, HARD NIGHTS (lead) and BUDDY’S SONG.
Television includes: THIEF TAKERS (Carlton); HOPE I DIE BEFORE I GET OLD (lead, BBC); THE SILENT LODGER (lead, BBC); REDEMPTION (BBC). Theatre includes: LOOK BACK IN ANGER (‘Jimmy Porter’, Bristol Old Vic); REAL CLASSY AFFAIR (Royal Court Theatre); BILLY LIAR (Salisbury Playhouse); THE BEGGARS OPERA (Belgrade Theatre); BLOOD BROTHERS (Bill Kenwright) and THE BROKEN JUG (Edinburgh ‘89).
Born and raised in Dalston, Nick Moran is an Eastender through and through and remembers many evenings sitting outside his gran’s as a little boy armed with a coca cola and a packet of crisps watching the lively East End activity going on around him.
Nick describes SPIVS as “a film of two halves. It’s initially about the plight of a little team of con-men and their relationship with each other, but it takes a sudden twist when we hijack a lorry and pilfer its contents, expecting contraband, but it’s carrying a load of illegal immigrants, which is extremely topical. Our fearless leader Jack ends up chaperoning these two Albanian children. But we’ve inadvertently upset some very heavy people and it goes from being a pleasant, romantic comedy caper to everything changing drastically. It becomes a redemption movie for an older, initially cold-hearted character which rekindles his feelings for humanity.”
He describes Steve as “at first a pretty predictable, romantic lead, but there’s also a lot of humour in his relationships with the people around him. I really enjoy mixing comedy and drama. I’ve managed to get some good gags into the movie, and I’m proud of that.”
He continues: “Steve’s dilemma is that he’s got an older mentor who he looks up to, but there’s also this girl in the group who he’s in love with and she’s very pushy and thinks they should go off on their own. But he’s also got a liability of a brother-in-law, the dope-smoking prat Goat who is married to his sister. So Steve is caught in the middle, trying to keep everyone happy whilst not looking foolish in front of her. In their little family unit he’s the older brother who has to look up to people but he also has to look after them.”
He continues: “Colin and Gary did a lot of research into proper scams, and there are 20-30 which are structured and still go on today. I think I’ve fallen foul of it at the race course, when you’re invited to bet on a horse by someone with insider information. Someone comes into your box with a pair of binoculars and whole load of flannel and they just go off and spend your money. The best line in the film is along the lines of “Don’t waste your sympathy on a mug because you can’t con an honest man.” It’s people’s own greed that makes them fall foul of these cons. If you’re trying to profit by doing something illegal then you will fall foul of con artists and spivs.”
KATE ASHFIELD
Kate Ashfield was born and raised in Birmingham and trained at the Rose Bruford College, landing her first job as ‘Ella’ in PRINCESS CARABOO starring Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline. This extraordinary debut was followed by much less glamorous theatre roles where Kate quickly learnt more about the career she had chosen.
Other film appearances include: SHAUN OF THE DEAD; FAKERS; THE TROUBLE WITH MEN AND WOMEN; COLLUSION; FLYFISHING; PERFECT; BEYOND BORDERS; PURE; THREE GUESSES; DO OR DIE; CHRISTY MALRY’S OWN DOUBLE ENTRY; LATE NIGHT SHOPPING; THE LOW DOWN; GUEST HOUSE PARADISO and WAR ZONE opposite Ray Winstone.
Television includes: THIS LITTLE LIFE (BBC); A PLOT TO KILL HITLER (BBC); POLLYANA (Carlton); CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (BBC); A MANY SPLINTERED THING (BBC); STORM DAMAGE; LOVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY and a regular role as ‘Cate’ in the long-running television series SOLDIER, SOLDIER (Carlton).
Kate plays the only girl in the gang. Colin explains: “Historically a spiv would first be thought of as a man, but behind every man there is a woman. Jenny is a chameleon, manipulating men for her greater good as she does with Steve who she pushes to play the long con as opposed to messing around with short change.”
Gary elaborates: “The role of the woman in a con team was very important. If you imagine a confidence trick is a sleight of hand, so the idea is that I pick your pocket and create a distraction; whilst you’re watching the left hand, the right hand is stealing your wallet. The woman is traditionally the left hand and Kate plays that in a very subtle way. She has an edge behind the eyes that reminds me of a young Theresa Russell.
“It’s also interesting to write a woman character who is dangerous, which Jenny is. In fact, we don’t even know if Jenny Birdwell is her real name. She introduces herself as Jenny when she is playing a con.”
Kate enjoyed playing Jenny: “I liked the script. It begins quite light-hearted and funny, but as you read on you get caught up in the interaction of the three people who are ahead of the audience, which is fun. Then a simple scam goes horribly wrong and the whole tone of the film changes and it becomes quite dark.”
In many respects Jenny is the catalyst for the final leg of Jack’s journey, as Kate explains: “Jenny is a member of the con team with Jack and Steve, who have been together for a long time. She’s new to the outfit and quite ambitious, wants to do bigger things. She loves the danger and is quite fearless. She thinks Jack is a bit of a dinosaur, a bit set in his ways, but she’s more gung-ho and she loves it. She feels it’s time to go for the long con.”
Jenny knows how to use her feminine wiles to advance her own ambitions: “Her relationship with Steve is quite ambiguous – she likes him but you’re not quite sure during the course of the film how much she’s using him or just playing with him. I don’t think she’d have any qualms about moving on and doing her own thing. As for Goat, she thinks he’s pretty useless and a waste of time and she’s not quite sure why he’s tagging along.”
As the distracting bait, Kate has three very different looks for the film: “I get a whole new outfit and a whole new make-up disguise for each of the three scams. They’re pretty elaborate and Jenny really goes to town, which is fun to do.”
She elaborates: “The first scam involves getting Nigel played by Jack Dee out of the office so Jack and Steve can go in and steal some keys. I come in dressed in a sexy, vampy red suit and seamed stockings posing as a sales rep for Easymix vending machines. I take Nigel out for lunch and distract him, which is basically what Jenny does for a living. The second look is a young, care-free hitchhiker-type look with a gold coat, thigh length white boots and a long auburn wig. My plan is to try and distract the lorry driver, although it doesn’t quite go according to plan, as you will see. The final look is my own short, blonde hair, a besuited businesswoman in a hotel, where Steve and I do the biggest scam, the gold brick, where we exchange counterfeit euros for money.”
Kate recently returned from filming her first major Hollywood outing in Namibia and Thailand. In BEYOND BORDERS she plays ‘Kat’, an aid worker at a refugee camp, starring opposite Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen. She seems a bit flummoxed by her experience of a big Hollywood shoot: “It’s another world, it really is. The scale of it was incredible.” Kate admits she feels more at home on TV and in the low-budget British films in which she made her name: “It’s hard right now, there’s not a helluva lot of films being made in Britain. But I love being here, and British films are my favourite.”
DOMINIC MONAGHAN plays Goat
Initially best known for playing ‘Geoffrey Shawcross’ in the BBC Television drama series HETTY WAINTHROPP INVESTIGATES which ran for four years, Dominic was introduced to international film audiences in the role of Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck, the tallest of the hobbits in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the first of the LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy. Dominic began his career appearing on kid’s shows such as LIVE AND KICKING. He made his film debut in BOOMBER with Rutger Hauer and Martin Pope. Other film credits include THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING; AN INSOMNIAC’S NIGHTMARE and THE LORD OF THE RING: THE TWO TOWERS.
His other television credits include THIS IS PERSONAL – THE HUNT FOR THE YORKSHIRE RIPPER, a leading role in the series MONSIGNOR RENARD starring John Thaw and HOSTILE WATERS.
Dominic Monaghan is best known for playing Merry Brandybuck in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogyHe says: “I play the irrepressible Goat. He’s a total loser who has come into the group by default via Steve’s sister as he’s got her pregnant. He owns a van which they need to borrow so they can off-load some smuggled contraband.”
The character of Goat marked something of a departure for Dominic: “I haven’t been given the opportunity to go for it in a comedic part before. The character I play in LORD OF THE RINGS is kind of cheeky, kind of cocky and sometimes funny, whilst Goat’s whole personality is his sense of humour and his outlook on life being very different from anyone else. The challenge for me was never to do the same take twice.”
Dominic now lives in Los Angeles, and enjoyed returning to a small British movie after all the glamour and glitz of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: “I really enjoyed doing this movie and Colin and I could play around with the character in a way you can’t do on bigger movies. Goat is pretty impulsive, he thinks on his feet, but he also smokes marijuana so most of his thoughts are quite abstract and come out of nowhere. He goes around in a purple haze.”
Goat might therefore seem pretty incompetent, but he is soon caught up in the darker side of the conman’s world: “I liked the way the script started out as a gangland heist caper which you feel like you’ve seen before, and then there’s a big shift. The characters are so well rounded. The heart of the film is Jack’s story and the fact that certain actions promote certain reactions. You can’t go through life without facing up to your responsibilities. Jack goes through life like a Robin Hood character, but crime and vice have their consequences.
“From Goat’s point of view he has a reality check with Steve, but he’s kind of lost. He’s cleverish, but he’s not done much with his life, got this girl pregnant, the drug has taken control of him. I don’t think he looks up to Jack, but he sees him as a way of getting ready cash, whilst Steve sees Jack as a hero. Goat is a wind-up merchant and uses comedy as his defencse, waiting for you to crack. He’s an outsider.”
He adds: “He also doesn’t interact with the kids as he gets kneed in the groin by the boy. I was wearing two boxes for that scene, and Christos was a bit nervous, but I told him to go for it and he enjoyed himself!”
Gary explains: “Goat is ostensibly comic relief for the first half with his snide one-liners, this ditzy stoner, and he seems like a comic irritant, but what works is that towards the end of the film his character hits a level of pathos. He confronts Jack and that has a lot of resonance and depth.”
Although Dominic was off to do more LORD OF THE RINGS, he is very keen to keep supporting the British Film Industry: “It’s difficult here for young actors. People will throw scripts at them, but then no money goes into distribution or getting them into the multiplexes. A couple of great films a year come out of Britain; we are so artistically aware and clever and gifted, and we don’t take advantage of that. The blockbuster rules the day – but there should always be space for little independent films like this that jolt people.”
JACK DEE
Although Dominic was off to do more LORD OF THE RINGS, he is very keen to keep supporting the British Film Industry: “It’s difficult here for young actors. People will throw scripts at them, but then no money goes into distribution or getting them into the multiplexes. A couple of great films a year come out of Britain; we are so artistically aware and clever and gifted, and we don’t take advantage of that. The blockbuster rules the day – but there should always be space for little independent films like this that jolt people.”
KATE ASHFIELD plays Jenny
Kate Ashfield plays Jenny, the only girl in the gang. She made her name in a number of bleak and difficult roles such as THE WAR ZONE, CRIME & PUNISHMENT and the controversial stage play SHOPPING AND FUCKING as well as such low-budget fare as LATE NIGHT SHOPPING and THE LOW DOWN. But the versatile actress also starred in FAKERS, an Ealing style comedy about art forgers, and A MANY SPLINTERED THING, the BBC1 comedy drama opposite Alan Davies. Time Out wrote: “Ashfield caught our attention in these films by virtue of her easygoing, naturalistic playing, projecting an earthbound ordinariness that younger audiences in particular relate to.”
Colin explains: “Historically a spiv would first be thought of as a man, but behind every man there is a woman. Jenny is a chameleon, manipulating men for her greater good as she does with Steve who she pushes to play the long con as opposed to messing around with short change.”
Gary elaborates: “The role of the woman in a con team was very important. If you imagine a confidence trick is a sleight of hand, so the idea is that I pick your pocket and create a distraction; whilst you’re watching the left hand, the right hand is stealing your wallet. The woman is traditionally the left hand and Kate plays that in a very subtle way. She has an edge behind the eyes that reminds me of a young Theresa Russell.
“It’s also interesting to write a woman character who is dangerous, which Jenny is. In fact, we don’t even know if Jenny Birdwell is her real name. She introduces herself as Jenny when she is playing a con.”
Kate enjoyed playing Jenny: “I liked the script. It begins quite light-hearted and funny, but as you read on you get caught up in the interaction of the three people who are ahead of the audience, which is fun. Then a simple scam goes horribly wrong and the whole tone of the film changes and it becomes quite dark.”
In many respects Jenny is the catalyst for the final leg of Jack’s journey, as Kate explains: “Jenny is a member of the con team with Jack and Steve, who have been together for a long time. She’s new to the outfit and quite ambitious, wants to do bigger things. She loves the danger and is quite fearless. She thinks Jack is a bit of a dinosaur, a bit set in his ways, but she’s more gung-ho and she loves it. She feels it’s time to go for the long con.”
Jenny knows how to use her feminine wiles to advance her own ambitions: “Her relationship with Steve is quite ambiguous – she likes him but you’re not quite sure during the course of the film how much she’s using him or just playing with him. I don’t think she’d have any qualms about moving on and doing her own thing. As for Goat, she thinks he’s pretty useless and a waste of time and she’s not quite sure why he’s tagging along.”
As the distracting bait, Kate has three very different looks for the film: “I get a whole new outfit and a whole new make-up disguise for each of the three scams. They’re pretty elaborate and Jenny really goes to town, which is fun to do.”
She elaborates: “The first scam involves getting Nigel played by Jack Dee out of the office so Jack and Steve can go in and steal some keys. I come in dressed in a sexy, vampy red suit and seamed stockings posing as a sales rep for Easymix vending machines. I take Nigel out for lunch and distract him, which is basically what Jenny does for a living. The second look is a young, care-free hitchhiker-type look with a gold coat, thigh length white boots and a long auburn wig. My plan is to try and distract the lorry driver, although it doesn’t quite go according to plan, as you will see. The final look is my own short, blonde hair, a besuited businesswoman in a hotel, where Steve and I do the biggest scam, the gold brick, where we exchange counterfeit euros for money.”
Kate recently returned from filming her first major Hollywood outing in Namibia and Thailand. In BEYOND BORDERS she plays ‘Kat’, an aid worker at a refugee camp, starring opposite Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen. She seems a bit flummoxed by her experience of a big Hollywood shoot: “It’s another world, it really is. The scale of it was incredible.” Kate admits she feels more at home on TV and in the low-budget British films in which she made her name: “It’s hard right now, there’s not a helluva lot of films being made in Britain. But I love being here, and British films are my favourite.”
She recently collaborated with photographer Rankin on his first short film and on a one-off BBC TV film THIS LITTLE LIFE, an intense, striking hospital drama about a woman coping with the premature birth of her baby.
JACK DEE plays Nigel
Jack Dee, one of Britain’s best-loved comedians, is particularly well known for his straight-talking, straight-faced, deadpan persona. His life changed with a trip to London’s The Comedy Store and Jack knew he had found his calling. A week later he was back, this time on stage for an open mike night. When his opening line fell flat, he instinctively turned the joke on himself and the audience laughed. Television appearances as a stand-up include: HAPPY HOUR; FULL MOUNTIE; IT’S ONLY TV… BUT I LIKE IT; JACK DEE LIVE IN LONDON; SUNDAY SERVICE; JACK DEE LIVE and THE JACK DEE SHOW.
The last few years have seen Jack continuing his television career, moving into serious acting, touring, extending his family (he and his wife Jane now have four children). He made his West End stage debut in the award-winning play ART, and he has made guest appearances in DALZIEL AND PASCOE: DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD; LONDINIUM; JONATHAN CREEK, THE AMBASSADOR and HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. He also won Comic Relief’s CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER in 2001 securing his position as a household name.
Stand-up comedian Jack Dee plays Nigel, the stressed owner of the haulage company struggling to make ends meet, as Colin explains his character: “He has done a deal with the equivalent of the Russian mafia and he gets caught up in a dark underworld. To me, William H Macy is the cornerstone of the character. Jack has taken that on board and had a ball with it.”
Jack made his West End stage debut in ART. “I worked hard at it, but it wasn’t hard to do… I didn’t take acting classes. I didn’t want to. I approached ART with the attitude that stand-up would be no help whatsoever… but looking back I realise that it had told me a lot about stage craft.”
Jack was delighted to be offered the part of Nigel in SPIVS: “I want to do more acting. I’ve been offered a lot of serious roles recently, but what I really wanted to do was some comedy acting. For some reason, I get endless scripts wanting me to be a tough detective. I turn them all down.”
SPIVS fitted the bill perfectly: “I think good drama always has an element of comedy in it, it would be very dull if it didn’t. I always think that comedy gives you a sort of sensitivity to a certain possibility within a drama and I tend to be more in tune with that because that’s my background, so I look for what could possibly be the slightly absurd if not comical stream in any storyline, but I’ve done mainly stand-up which is very different from this, it’s a different discipline.”
He continues: “I play a guy called Nigel who runs a lorry depot and is a bit of an idiot. I get involved in smuggling immigrants, unwittingly, which I have no idea I’m getting involved in and I end up completely out of my depth. There’s a sting scene when two con merchants take over my office and there is an unpleasant scene where I end up leading these gangsters to these people who have conned them and they meet a sticky end. It never occurs to me that it could ever have got this bad and I facilitate the deepening gravity of the story.”
He adds: “I liked the script as I didn’t expect it to be what it was when I started reading it. I think the immigrant theme is very pertinent at the moment, and it turns out to be a very human story, which I like; it’s not just about a bunch of thugs being hard and looking great being hard, because that doesn’t actually happen. And in fact one of the hardest characters in it, played by Ken Stott, has a bit of a turnaround in his life.”
LINDA BASSETT
plays Vee
Linda Bassett is best known for films such as EAST IS EAST and, most recently, THE HOURS and the hugely acclaimedanticipated movie CALENDAR GIRLS. She says about SPIVS:
“In SPIVS I play Jack’s cousin Vee. The family has a history, which you will find out when you see the film. They’ve shared a lot since childhood. Jack turns up on her doorstep in the middle of the night with two grubby, hungry kids in tow which takes her completely by surprise. She responds to the children who need food, a bath and a bed and she starts to look after them all.”
Colin Teague comments: “We were very fortunate to get Linda Bassett to play Vee. There’s a pivotal scene in the middle of the movie where she lays out the cards for Ken. What has he got? Nothing. He may have a wonderful car, sharp suits, be able to con all sorts of people, but, she asks him, do you ever hear of a spiv who retires with a million pounds under his mattress? A tiny little thing which sends waves through Ken’s emotional family. And that really brings it home to him. He doesn’t have a family, someone to love, someone to look after him in his old age.”
Gary comments: “The scene between Jack and Vee is the real emotional heart of the film. It was such a privilege to see them working together. The chemistry was beautiful and sensitive.”
Linda continues: “I liked the script because it is very difficult to put a label on it. It’s full of humour and charm and you find you get pulled into the life of a person who’s ducking and diving; and yet waiting there in the film is the darker side of that and also the reality of some people’s lives. When the children come into Jack’s life it’s a complete shock, especially the way they find them. The film is full of surprises and takes you down paths that are not jokey and yet it hasn’t missed out on the humour and charm, but it tells you there is a price to pay for all that.”
Linda was particularly interested in the theme of asylum seekers: “I live in Kent and the relationship between local people and asylum seekers is an issue there. I’m appalled at the lack of generosity. Some people are welcoming, but some of them make me ashamed to be English. Why not pay a little more to help people? It makes me so angry. Vee sees people first; the children are hungry, in need of a bath and a bed for the night, and only then does she notice that they are not even English.”
She adds: “The two children are terrific. It’s been a pleasure watching them as they’re so natural and just in the moment. They really know how to act…”
Film credits include EAST IS EAST; CALENDAR GIRLS; THE HOURS; THE MARTINS; OSCAR AND LUCINDA; BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, LEAVE TO REMAIN; LET HIM HAVE IT; MARY REILLY; HAUNTED; PARIS BY NIGHT and WAITING FOR THE MOON.
Television appearances include: THIS LITTLE LIFE with Kate Ashfield; OUT OF HOURS; THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF WILLIAM PALMER; SPOONFACE STEINBERG; OUR MUTUAL FRIEND; FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD; LOVED UP and NO BANANAS.
She has made numerous stage appearances including, for the Royal Shakespeare Company HENRY IV and ARTISTS AND ADMIRERS, and for the National Theatre JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, A PLACE WITH THE PIGS, and SCHISM IN ENGLAND. At the Royal Court she appeared in FAR AWAY directed by Stephen Daldry.
PAUL KAYE plays O’Brien
Paul Kaye is forever loved (or hated) for his role asis best known for cult character ‘Dennis Pennis’ althoughbut he is also athe writer and actor withhas a wide variety of credits under his belt. He has starred in three series of 2000 ACRES OF SKY, and recently completed the feature film BLACKBALL directed by Mel Smith.
In SPIVS Paul plays O’Brien, another modern day spiv, as Colin explains: “I discussed the character with Paul and he said he saw O’Brien as someone out of GQ magazine who doesn’t quite get it right. The hair is not 100% and the suit isn’t quite that good and ultimately he’s not on top of his game. Every time he meets Jack he comes a cropper.”
Paul agrees: “O’Brien lisps slightly and is stung all over the place. If everyone gets away with it like Jack does, I don’t know how he can afford to dress like he does. He’s the biggest mug of the century. He walks the walk, talks the talk, but he doesn’t look at the pavement in front of him. He dresses like the soundest gangster around but just seems to get fleeced by everybody.”
He continues: “. As far as the hair goes, he reminds me of Francis Tusa, the Gulf War expert who was constantly being dragged out of bed at 4.30 in the morning to comment on events and his hair stood up on one side in a little horn. I always imagined the make-up women going frantic when they knew he was expected in the studio to do a live interview. But O’Brien makes a feature out of his slicked-up hair. He’s also a little like Keith Flint, the devil-haired guy with the manic look out of The Prodigy.”
Television and film credits include: PERFECT WORLD; 2000 ACRES OF SKY; IT’S ALL GONE PETE TONG; BLACKBALL AGENT CODY BANKS II; LIAR (BBC2); SPACED (LWT); LE SHOW (C4); CRAZY JONATHAN (BBC); YOU ARE HERE (C4); PICK ‘N’ MIX (BBC); SEVEN SINS – WRATH (C4); ELECTION SPECIAL (BBC2); VERY IMPORTANT PENNIS (BBC); THE SUNDAY SHOW (3 series, BBC); WOMEN AND PLAY (C4); ANYONE FOR PENNIS? (BBC) and PENNIS POPS OUT (Granada);
He has also appeared in a variety of Fringe Theatre productions including VAMPIRE and EMPEROR OF THE MOON at the Nottingham Arts Centre and WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR MOTHER? at the Finsborough Arms.
RITA ORA plays Rosanna
Colin explains the art of working with child actors: “The important thing is to build up their confidence so that you won’t make them look silly. You need to guide them. The acting is one thing but they need to ignore the fact that some fifty people – hair, make-up, costume, the DOP, all want a piece of you. I tried to encourage them to ignore them. They needed to focus on the character. The children got soaked to the skin and had to do night shoots, so it was hard work. Their parents really encouraged them and it was a real family feeling.”
12-year-old Rita Ora loves singing. She is a member of a choir and has acted in a number of musicals, but SPIVS is her first feature film – and one in which speaks no English. “My family is originally from Kosovo and we speak Albanian at home. So it’s been quite easy to learn the lines, although I have to speak them perfectly which makes it more difficult! Christos is Greek and doesn’t speak Albanian. We mostly communicate by facial expressions as he doesn’t understand what I’m saying on set so in rehearsal we say it in English and then for the take we do it in my language. Then he knows how he should be reacting to me.”
She continues: “My character is very independent and is responsible for her little brother as our parents have died. I identify quite a bit with Rosanna because I’ve got a younger brother and I’m always looking out for him.”
She explains their relationship with Jack: “The relationship with Jack isn’t good at first, but as he gets to know us better and manages to communicate even though he doesn’t speak our language, he gets more attached as he’s the only person we have. He gets more and more loving and gets into Dad mode. It’s very intense. Before he met us he used to get up to lots of scams but now he has to look after us and he cares.”
Ken Stott enjoyed working with the children and he gave them a number of acting tips: “He told us not to look at the camera, to focus and not to mess around on set. He’s really professional.”
Rita adds: “The most fun bit was the ice-skating, but I also really enjoyed just watching what went on behind the scenes. I hadn’t seen that before and now I know how much work goes into making a film. I also enjoyed the catering! But the worst bit was the scene where we had to drink lots of milk because we did lots of takes and I ended up feeling quite sick!”
In fact, filming wasn’t all glamour: “I like to get pampered and having lots of attention paid to me, but instead it took them a long time to make me look dirty; most of the time my make-up is red eyes with bags under them and looking really grubby, dirty hands and legs and fingernails. I’m looking forward to working on a film where they make me look beautiful and glamorous!” She laughs and adds: “The costume is not my kind of thing either – the shoes top it off as they’re like olden day sandals which make my feet look big.”
CHRISTOS ZENONOS plays Anton
12-year-old Christos Zenonos plays Anton who is Albanian, although Christos himself is from a Greek Cypriot family: “I have acted quite a bit before, but not on film so this is a big step for me.” In fact his mother explains that one of his acting highlights to date was as one of the witches in a production of MACBETH: “They appeared on stage in black capes, then turned around and the three boys were in blonde wigs and frocks, just like the Beverley Sisters; they broke into “Sisters” and the audience clapped wildly and demanded an encore!” He has also played Scrooge on the stage.
“The character I play in SPIVS is Albanian and clings to his sister for comfort and support. He’s weak on his own but she is strong and we stand up to people together. My sister speaks Albanian which I don’t so I’m silent throughout. Much of the time I’m also very grubby as a refugee and I have lots of Fullers earth in my hair which is really dusty and atmospheric of the place I have been in the truck.”
He describes their relationship with Jack: “He was very cold and unfeeling, like getting blood out of a stone, but later on he gets very emotionally involved with us and is as desperate as we are to find our sister Sonya. In fact he goes on quite a journey – it’s as if he’s seeking his inner self.”
Christos had to learn to look convincing on a pair of ice skates: “I had only skated once before, but I quickly brushed up and it was quite fun. Ken is very good with kids and I really enjoyed watching him psyche himself up for the role.”
He had never been to the East End before: “I live in Enfield, so it was all new to me. My schoolmates are very excited, a bit jealous but rooting for me.”
He’s enjoyed watching the filming process: “I’m enjoying myself and it’s amazing how much goes on on a film set. But I’m not sure I want to be an actor as it’s an on and off social life. I think I might be a computer programmer…”
ELIZABETH BERRINGTON – Nigel’s Secretary
Film appearances include: QUILLS; LITTLE VAMPIRES; MAD COWS; EIGHT AND A HALF WOMEN; EUGENE ONEGIN; AN URBAN GHOST STORY; NAKED and SECRETS AND LIES.
Television includes: BODILY HARM; RESCUE ME; THE CHAMBERS; THE BILL; SAM’S GAME; THE GRIMLEYS; THE VICE; LET THEM EAT CAKE; NATURE BOY; two series of THE LAKES and three series of MY WONDERFUL LIFE.
ROSHAN SETH - Omar
Roshan Seth was born in New Delhi, India. He is particularly well known for roles in films such as: MONSOON WEDDING, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, A PASSAGE TO INDIA; GANDHI; FROZEN; COSMOPOLITAN; VERTICAL LIMIT; SUCH A LONG JOURNEY; BOMBAY BOYS; THE JOURNEY; STREET FIGHTER; SOLITAIRE FOR TWO; STALIN; ELECTRIC MOON; LONDON KILLS ME; MISSISSIPPI MASALA; NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER; 1871; MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON; FIRST BORN; LITTLE DORRIT; SLIPSTREAM; THE HAPPY VALLEY; DEADLINE; PARTITION; CASHPOINT; JUGGERNAUT and INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.
Television includes: THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA; SILENT WITNESS; SECOND GENERATION; SPOOKS 2; HOLBY CITY; THE NATURAL WORLD; FOOD FOR RAVENS; GRANDPA CHATTERJI; TURNING WORLD; YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES; THE BILL; DANGERFIELD; FLIGHT; INDIA – A DISCOVERY (53 part series); BIDESHI; INSPECTOR SHAIKH; RUNNING LATE; SIX DAYS OF JUSTICE; GENERAL HOSPITAL and COMRAD SAK.
Director of Photography HARIS ZAMBARLOUKOS
Producer Hamish Skeggs comments: “London and in particular the colourful and multi-national East End was to be a backdrop to the film and the look of the movie was therefore vital. We wanted to steer away from known landmarks. We needed to place it in the East End but it’s very important to understand that it’s not a gangster movie but a real human relations drama with comedy.”
Gary contrasts SPIVS with traditional gangster movies: “Colin and I work as a director/writer team. He has an amazing eye, and the look of SPIVS is fantastic. It has a wonderful visceral quality unlike SHOOTERS which was gritty and cold in some respects; SPIVS has an amazing, sumptuous look and takes us on a real emotional journey, contrasting with the dark, urban subject matter of conmen and the underworld.”
Director of Photography Haris Zambarloukos takes up the story: “The film is anamorphic [enhanced for wide screen] which forces you to frame a certain way. We wanted a lot of energy and there are big cameras, big lenses, lots of wide shots, which gives it the feeling of an action movie with intimate moments.
“In terms of colour and light it’s a bit more extreme. Realism is for inspiration, but that’s where it stops. It rains like you’re in the jungle, the emotion is heightened. So the chase scenes shot from the back of a quad bike and the comedy contrast sharply with the intimate scenes between Ken and Linda or between Ken and the children – the human face is the most interesting thing at the end of the day.”
He continues: “The film is set in London’s East End which is a melting pot, a real mixture of old and new. We wanted to show the diversity and colour of the people, the bustling markets, the houses, Victoria Park with all its ancient monuments often crumbling before your very eyes. But there’s also Canary Wharf which is very new with glass, metal, grey and silver.”
Production Designer MIKE KANEProduction design and costumes:
Production Designer Mike Kane (ONCE WERE WARRIORS) elaborates: “We started off looking for a contemporary feel to the film. We were trying to avoid the cliché East End drab bricks and mortar and went for contemporary locations which reflect the East End today. Our intention was to have extreme visuals, the modern and the shiny contrasting with the tatty, like the very modern hotel and the safe house, all with strong lines. Canary Wharf contrasts with the bustling markets, or the piles of gravel and sand at the haulage company.
“We went for a select palate, with a strong red theme and a monochromatic feel with one or two tones. The liaison with costume was important too, with the same reduced palate. We wanted a sleek look where the tones blended into each other. Walls were sometimes the same colour as the dressing gowns with the same prints. Vee’s home was constrained in tone so nothing stood out.”
Editor EDDIE HAMILTON:
Editor Eddie Hamilton worked very closely with Colin Teague on the look of the final movie: “Colin had some pretty specific ideas on how he wanted the film to look. The first twenty minutes were upbeat and fun and quick with lots of split-screen and fast intercutting and heavy use of stylized sound. Then as soon as the gang discovers the immigrants, the film takes a sudden shift in tone and mood. The audience will find that the film is not at all what they were expecting.”
He continues: “There are moments that are stylized and fast; the con with the split screen, the car chase, but for most of the story we’re on Jack’s emotional journey and we’re exploring how his past relates to how he is now.
“There is a sequence at the beginning of the third act, where Jack gets a big shock. We have used jump cuts and negative images which jar the audience and will give them a big jolt, and that will combine with the music to propel them into the next stage of Jack’s journey. We have deliberately used a very harsh cutting technique of flash frames and negative images. Soon after we give double layered images to give the impression of Jack’s initial disorientation, then as he collapses to the floor we go back to the single image. I deliberately try to replicate his emotions in that sequence and it works well, I think.”
He adds: “An interesting editorial decision was in the use of subtitles. The children are from Albania. Rita speaks fluent Albanian throughout, but we decided not to show subtitles so that the audience is as much in the dark as Jack is. When he eventually works out exactly what they want him to do, the subtitles appear as they help explain the subsequent action.”
PRIVATE INVESTORS:
A share offer was launched under the Enterprise Investment Scheme swiftly raising sufficient funding from British private investors to produce the film. Investors were given an added bonus – the chance to appear as extras in the film’s opening scenes at Epsom Racecourse.
Producer Hamish Skeggs sees the investors as very much part of the movie: “They can see we are working hard and spending their money properly. I hope they will see a good return on their money, and it’s a great cast with an incredible buzz. It’s like betting on a horse – you may or may not win, but you’ll certainly enjoy the experience.”
Director Colin Teague adds: “It’s quite strange being brought into a film that is totally financed, much of it through private individuals. Most of the extras are investors. So we had a thousand investors keeping an eye on us as well as the producers. In the opening scenes of the film at the race course we had a huge stampede of extras haring across the screen and you couldn’t see Ken or Paul Kaye, so we had to rein them in a little, and I think they learnt a great deal. It is, of course, essential to get the investors’ trust and get them involved so they keep coming back. I think they’ll like what we’ve done.”
Executive Producer Jamie Carmichael of Content International snapped up the rights to SPIVS just two weeks into production: “SPIVS seems at first to be a cool gangster movie, but then it takes you to an emotional place you never expected to go. We’re very lucky to have such a strong cast of terrific actors who are able to take advantage of a story that makes you laugh, then turns around and makes you cry when you least expect it – and I think this is one of the reasons that SPIVS has a chance to be truly international in its appeal.”
Conclusion:
Colin Teague concludes: “I hope SPIVS will appeal to a wide audience. There are family values, there’s a timeless story that it’s never too late in life to turn back the clock and start afresh. Two immigrant children who don’t even speak English can turn a man’s life around. Children will go for the tension and excitement. There’s also the cheeky chappy, the idea that it’s cool to be a conman. The older audience will admire Ken Stott and Linda Bassett’s presence, recognizing that their own fathers might have been like that.”
Gary Young adds: “It’s an action film, it’s got humour and drama, it’s emotional. I can’t think of it as a con film. It doesn’t fit into any genre. In many ways it’s about a man who happens to be a conman, but it’s about his redemption. It’s a film with a heart.”
BIOGRAPHY
KEN STOTT - Jack
Ken Stott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1955 to a Sicilian mother and a Scottish father. During his teens he had aspirations of pop stardom and was for a while lead singer in a band called ‘Keyhole’, three members of which went on to form The Bay City Rollers. He also dreamt of becoming an archeologist. But in the end he decided to train as an actor. After attending Mountview Theatre School, Ken spent some time with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford. But recognition was slow in coming and for seven years he sold double glazing to make ends meet.
Then hHe won his first lead role at the age of thirty in THROUGH THE LEAVES at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, and his career really took off. Since then Ken has consistently captivated theatre and television audiences, quickly establishing a reputation as one of Britain’s finest performers. He won an Olivier Award for BROKEN GLASS and, with Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay, made up the original cast of the hit West End play ART.
His depiction of an alcoholic hospital DJ in the acclaimed black comedy TAKIN’ OVER THE ASYLUM in 1995 brought Ken firmly to the attention of television audiences, but he gained real recognition with lead roles in ITV’s THE VICE, now in its fifth series, and the BBC dramas VICIOUS CIRCLE, DOCKERS and an outstanding performance in the thriller MESSIAH. Other television appearances include: PROMOTED TO GLORY, THE KEY, THE BEGGAR’S OPERA, THE SINGING DETECTIVE, YOUR CHEATIN’ HEART, SILENT WITNESS, STONE, SCISSORS, PAPER, A MUG’S GAME and RHODES.
Ken has built up his film career from thirty seconds screen time as a sixteenth century Spaniard in BEING HUMAN and a small part in SHALLOW GRAVE to co-starring with Billy Connolly in THE DEBT COLLECTOR in a part written expressly for him, by way of roles in FEVER PITCH, THE BOXER and PLUNKETT AND MACLEANE. His most recent film appearances include I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD.
Ken Other theatre appearances include: THE FAITH HEALER (Almeida); THE MISANTHROPE (Young Vic); COLQUHOUN & MACBRYDE, 1953, AMERICAN BAGPIPES (all Royal Court); THE ROSE TATTOO (Playhouse); THE BEAUX STRATAGEM (Lyric, Hammersmith); HAMLET (Donmar); THREE MEN AND A HORSE (Vaudeville); FILUMENA (Lyric Theatre); and DEATH OF A SALESMAN (West Yorkshire Playhouse). Appearances at the Royal National Theatre include: THE MAGISTRATE,; THREE MEN AND A HORSE,; JOCOBOWSKY AND THE COLONEL,; THE TEMPEST,; CYMBELINE,; THE WINTER’S TALE,; THE SEA,; THE RECRUITING OFFICER,; BROKEN GLASS and THE PRINCE’S PLAY.
BIOGRAPHY
NICK MORAN - Edward
Born in London’s East End, Nick MoranICK MORAN trained at the Mountview Theatre School. He first hit the big screen in 1990 alongside Roger Daltrey and Chesney Hawkes in BUDDY’S STORY. He went on to star with Samantha Morton in a Coky Giedroyc short THE FUTURE LASTS A LONG TIME, but he is probably best remembered as ‘Eddy’ in LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS.
Other fFilm credits include: CHAOS AND CADAVERS (lead); ASHES & SAND (lead); THE BABY JUICE EXPRESS; THE MUSKETEER; CHRISTIE MALRY’S OWN DOUBLE ENTRY (lead); ANOTHER LIFE (lead); RANCID ALUMINIUM; NEW BLOOD (lead opposite John Hurt); LONG TIME DEAD (lead); LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS (lead); MISS MONDAY; THE FUTURE LASTS A LONG TIME (lead); CLANCY’S KITCHEN (lead); DON’T BE AFRAID (lead); HARD DAYS, HARD NIGHTS (lead) and BUDDY’S SONG.
Television includes: THIEF TAKERS (Carlton); HOPE I DIE BEFORE I GET OLD (lead, BBC); THE SILENT LODGER (lead, BBC); REDEMPTION (BBC). Theatre includes: LOOK BACK IN ANGER (‘Jimmy Porter’, Bristol Old Vic); REAL CLASSY AFFAIR (Royal Court Theatre); BILLY LIAR (Salisbury Playhouse); THE BEGGARS OPERA (Belgrade Theatre); BLOOD BROTHERS (Bill Kenwright) and THE BROKEN JUG (Edinburgh ‘89).
BIOGRAPHY
DOMINIC MONAGHAN - Goat
Dominic Monaghan was born in Berlin, Germany. On leaving Sixth Form College, he went straight into youth theatre in Manchester, quickly acquiring an agent. Initially best known for playing ‘Geoffrey Shawcross’ in the BBC Television drama series HETTY WAINTHROPP INVESTIGATES which ran for four years, Dominic was introduced to international film audiences in the role of Meriadoc ‘Merry’ Brandybuck, the tallest of the hobbits in THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the first of the LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy.
Dominic began his career appearing on kid’s shows such as LIVE AND KICKING. He made his film debut in BOOMBER with Rutger Hauer and Martin Pope. Other film credits include THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING; AN INSOMNIAC’S NIGHTMARE and THE LORD OF THE RING: THE TWO TOWERS.
His other television credits include THIS IS PERSONAL – THE HUNT FOR THE YORKSHIRE RIPPER, a leading role in the series MONSIGNOR RENARD starring John Thaw and HOSTILE WATERS.
Theatre credits include: THE RESURRECTIONISTS (Bolton Octagon/Croydon Warehouse), WHALE and ANNIE AND FANNY FROM BOLTON TO ROME (Bolton Octagon). He also stared in the BBC Radio 4 series STOCKPORT… SO GOOD THEY NAMED IT ONCE.
Biography
KATE ASHFIELD - Jenny
Kate Ashfield was born and raised in Birmingham. Whilst her older sister went to Brownies on a Saturday morning, Kate was too young to join, instead exhausting her parents each week until they enrolled her in a drama group. One of her first roles was ‘Titania’ in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, which made her resolve to be an actress. She trained at the Rose Bruford College, landing her first job as ‘Ella’ in PRINCESS CARABOO starring Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline. This extraordinary debut was followed by much less glamorous theatre roles where Kate quickly learnt more about the career she had chosen.
Other film appearances include: SHAUN OF THE DEAD; FAKERS; THE TROUBLE WITH MEN AND WOMEN; COLLUSION; FLYFISHING; PERFECT; BEYOND BORDERS; PURE; THREE GUESSES; DO OR DIE; CHRISTY MALRY’S OWN DOUBLE ENTRY; LATE NIGHT SHOPPING; THE LOW DOWN; GUEST HOUSE PARADISO and WAR ZONE opposite Ray Winstone.
Television includes: THIS LITTLE LIFE (BBC); A PLOT TO KILL HITLER (BBC); POLLYANA (Carlton); CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (BBC); A MANY SPLINTERED THING (BBC); STORM DAMAGE; LOVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY and a regular role as ‘Cate’ in the long-running television series SOLDIER, SOLDIER (Carlton).
Theatre appearances include: CLOSER (Lyric, West End); WOYZECK (Gate Theatre); THE POSITIVE HOUR (Hampstead); SHOPPING AND FUCKING (Royal Court); THE THREE SISTERS/THE BREAK OF DAY (Out of Joint and tour with Max Stafford-Clark for two years); BEARING FRUIT (Hampstead); BLASTED (Royal Court); PEACHES (Royal Court); A COLLIER’S FRIDAY NIGHT (Hampstead Theatre) and ‘Cecily’ in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Royal Exchange, Manchester)
Biography
JACK DEE – Nigel
Jack Dee, one of Britain’s best-loved comedians, was brought up in rural Hampshire, the youngest of three kids. He is particularly well known for his straight-talking, straight-faced, deadpan persona. He claims he comes from a naturally sarcastic family, and that he hated school and school hated him. His classroom comedy routines distracted the other pupils, his teachers said. After a series of odd jobs, he moved into catering, planning to run his own restaurant. After a spell in a smart Covent Garden pizzeria working alongside aspiring actors and musicians, he spent six months as a restaurant manager at The Ritz and a similar place in Chelsea.
Then came a life-changing trip to The Comedy Store and Jack knew he had found his calling. A week later he was back, this time on stage for an open mike night. When his opening line fell flat, he instinctively turned the joke on himself and the audience laughed. Television appearances as a stand-up include: HAPPY HOUR; FULL MOUNTIE; IT’S ONLY TV… BUT I LIKE IT; JACK DEE LIVE IN LONDON; SUNDAY SERVICE; JACK DEE LIVE and THE JACK DEE SHOW.
Jack is a very busy man. The last few years have seen him continuing his television career, moving into serious acting, touring, extending his family (he and his wife Jane now have four children). He made his West End stage debut in the award-winning play ART, following in the footsteps of Ken Stott, who was one of the show’s original cast members and he has made guest appearances in DALZIEL AND PASCOE: DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD; LONDINIUM; JONATHAN CREEK, THE AMBASSADOR and HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. He also won Comic Relief’s CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER in 2001 securing his position as a household name.
Biographiesy
LINDA BASSETT - Vee
Linda Bassett starred in Damien O’Donnell’s EAST IS EAST, in which she played the frazzled Ella Khan and for which she was nominated for several awards including a BAFTA, winning a Best Actress award in Spain.
Other fFilm credits include EAST IS EAST; CALENDAR GIRLS; THE HOURS; THE MARTINS; OSCAR AND LUCINDA; BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, LEAVE TO REMAIN; LET HIM HAVE IT; MARY REILLY; HAUNTED; PARIS BY NIGHT and WAITING FOR THE MOON.
Her extensive Ttelevision appearances include: THIS LITTLE LIFE with Kate Ashfield; OUT OF HOURS; THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF WILLIAM PALMER; SPOONFACE STEINBERG; OUR MUTUAL FRIEND; FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD; LOVED UP and NO BANANAS.
She has made numerous stage appearances including, for the Royal Shakespeare Company HENRY IV and ARTISTS AND ADMIRERS, and for the National Theatre JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, A PLACE WITH THE PIGS, and SCHISM IN ENGLAND. At the Royal Court she appeared in FAR AWAY directed by Stephen Daldry.
Biography
ELIZABETH BERRINGTON – Nigel’s Secretary
Elizabeth Berrington trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
Film appearances include: QUILLS; LITTLE VAMPIRES; MAD COWS; EIGHT AND A HALF WOMEN; EUGENE ONEGIN; AN URBAN GHOST STORY; NAKED and SECRETS AND LIES.
Television includes: BODILY HARM; RESCUE ME; THE CHAMBERS; THE BILL; SAM’S GAME; THE GRIMLEYS; THE VICE; LET THEM EAT CAKE; NATURE BOY; two series of THE LAKES and three series of MY WONDERFUL LIFE.
Theatre includes ABIGAIL’S PARTY (Hampstead); TOP GIRLS (Oxford Stage Company); THE SHAGAROUND (Nuffield Southampton, Croydon Ashcroft); THE COUNTRY WIFE (Sheffield Crucible); TOGETHER (Edinburgh Festival); Y A OTRA COSA MARIPOSA (Battersea Arts Centre); THE LAST WALTZ (Gateway Theatre, Chester); AN IDEAL HUSBAND (Royal Exchange Theatre); THE LEFT-OVER HEART (Offstage Downstairs) and RUPERT STREET LONELY HEARTS CLUB (ETT Tour, Donmar Warehouse, The Criterion).
Biography
PAUL KAYE – O’Brien
Television and film credits include:
Forever loved (or hated) for his role as cult character ‘Dennis Pennis’, Paul is also a writer and actor with a variety of credits under his belt. During 2001 he completed his second series as ‘Bob Slay’ in the popular BBC TV sitcom PERFECT WORLD; (Tiger Aspect Productions), but it was his role as ‘Kenny’ in three series of BBC 1’s 2000 ACRES OF SKY; which really tugged at the viewers’ heartstrings! On completing SPIVS Paul went off to Ibiza to begin filming a film entitled IT’S ALL GONE PETE TONG. ; He recently completed BLACKBALL directed by Mel Smith and AGENT CODY BANKS II; .
Other television credits include: LIAR (BBC2); SPACED (LWT); LE SHOW (C4); CRAZY JONATHAN (BBC); YOU ARE HERE (C4); PICK ‘N’ MIX (BBC); SEVEN SINS – WRATH (C4); ELECTION SPECIAL (BBC2); VERY IMPORTANT PENNIS (BBC); THE SUNDAY SHOW (3 series, BBC); WOMEN AND PLAY (C4); ANYONE FOR PENNIS? (BBC) and PENNIS POPS OUT (Granada);
Paul has written columns for LOADED and THE DAILY STAR. He has also appeared in a variety of Fringe Theatre productions including VAMPIRE and EMPEROR OF THE MOON at the Nottingham Arts Centre and WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR MOTHER? at the Finsborough Arms.
He actually trained in theatre design and between 1988 and 1992 worked as a Scenic Artist, Art Director and Graphic Designer for a number of theatre companies, advertising campaigns and publications.
Biography
ROSHAN SETH - Omar
Roshan Seth was born in New Delhi, India. He is particularly well known for roles in films such as MONSOON WEDDING, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, A PASSAGE TO INDIA and GANDHI and numerous television appearances including THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA.
Other fFilm credits include: MONSOON WEDDING, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, A PASSAGE TO INDIA; GANDHI; FROZEN; COSMOPOLITAN; VERTICAL LIMIT; SUCH A LONG JOURNEY; BOMBAY BOYS; THE JOURNEY; STREET FIGHTER; SOLITAIRE FOR TWO; STALIN; ELECTRIC MOON; LONDON KILLS ME; MISSISSIPPI MASALA; NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER; 1871; MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON; FIRST BORN; LITTLE DORRIT; SLIPSTREAM; THE HAPPY VALLEY; DEADLINE; PARTITION; CASHPOINT; JUGGERNAUT and INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM;
Television includes: THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA; SILENT WITNESS; SECOND GENERATION; SPOOKS 2; HOLBY CITY; THE NATURAL WORLD; FOOD FOR RAVENS; GRANDPA CHATTERJI; TURNING WORLD; YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES; THE BILL; DANGERFIELD; FLIGHT; INDIA – A DISCOVERY (53 part series); BIDESHI; INSPECTOR SHAIKH; RUNNING LATE; SIX DAYS OF JUSTICE; GENERAL HOSPITAL and COMRAD SAK.
Theatre credits include: AMADEUS (Cornell University, New York); THE MILLIONAIRESS (No 1 Tour and West End); KING LEAR (National Theatre) and A MAP OF THE WORLD (Adelaide Theatre Festival, Sydney Opera House, National Theatre and Public Theatre New York) and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (RSC World Tour).
Radio includes: ALAMO (WNYC Radio, New York); A SUITABLE BOY; EAST OF THE SUN; HOTEL EUROPA, ESMOND IN INDIA; BEYOND PURDAH; MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN; ENEMY OF THE EMPIRE; AVANDER SANANDER; HAYAVADANA; RAAG DARBANI and UP AT OXFORD all for the BBC.
Biography
COLIN TEAGUE - Writer/Director
Colin, a scholarship graduate of the London International Film School and winner of the prestigious Eastman Kodak student commercial award in 1988, saw one of his student films selected to premiere at the Munich Film Festival.
Since then Colin has been involved as a director, producer and writer in the film and television industries. He has directed episodes of LONDON’S BURNING and HOLBY CITY for television, and in 2000 co-directed the feature film SHOOTERS starring Ioan Gruffudd, Gerard Butler and Adrian Dunbar which was released by Universal Pictures.
SHOOTERS was hailed for its “Blistering performances by a brilliant cast… genuine grit and grip” (Loaded magazine) and called “an impressive addition to the Brit crime canon” (News of the World). Despite being a low-budget film without Hollywood stars, the film achieved 31st position of the films screening in the UK, for Box Office gross revenue for the weekend of 25th-27th January 2002.
Biography
GARY YOUNG – Co-writer
SPIVS marks Gary Young’s second collaboration with Colin Teague following SHOOTERS, after which Gary was commissioned by The Scottish Chamber Orchestra to write the libretto for an opera entitled FESTUS which combines modern opera and jazz and which was performed the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in Many 2002. He also completed work on the play RUNNING GIRL for the Boilerhouse Theatre Company, working in conjunction with artistic director Paul Pinson and Scottish film-maker Angelina Ferguson, a combination of live performance and on-screen film which premiered at the Tramway Theatre in Glasgow in June 2002.
More recently Gary has been working with Colin BLACK ‘N’ WHITE, a screenplay for Tomboy Films and on an adaptation for Little Wing Films of I WALKED BY NIGHT, the book edited by Lilias Rider Haggard. Gary has also completed a screenplay for Scottish Screen, adapted from Melvyn Bragg’s novel THE SOLDIER’S RETURN.
BIOGRAPHY
HAMISH SKEGGS – Producer
Hamish began his career more than fifteen years ago working on feature films and commercials in New Zealand. Since moving to Britain he has worked on a number of films including AIME TON PERE (UK Line Producer) and Carnaby’s production of LIGHTHOUSE HILL starring Jason Flemyng and Kirsty Mitchell. In 2001 Hamish line-produced the feature film THE BABY JUICE EXPRESS STARRING Nick Moran which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. Hamish will produce Carnaby’s next project, THE DROP.
CARNABY PRODUCTIONS
Carnaby Films plc was formed in January 2001 with the specific purpose of financing and producing the British feature film Productions (carnabyproductions.co.uk) LIGHTHOUSE HILL starring Jason Flemyng, Kirsty Mitchell, Maureen Lipman, Samantha Beckinsale, Frank Finlay and Samantha Janus.
Funds were raised by means of a public offering of shares under the Government’s Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). John Reed of Carnaby explains: “Twenty percent of the investors’ initial investment comes back to be written off their tax liability. They have to hold the shares that they purchase for three years. At the end of that time, on disposing of their shares, we can release profits of the film back to them, completely tax free. If after three years it doesn’t show any return, they can write the money off their income tax or capital gains.”
After successfully financing SPIVS under the Carnaby Umbrella, the company’s next project is another production in the UK – the World War II drama THE DROP which is set against the backdrop of true events which took place in September 1944. The film will be written and directed by Colin Teague. His co-screenwriter will again be Gary Young who collaborated with Colin on SHOOTERS and again on SPIVS. The producer will be Hamish Skeggs. IOAN GRUFFUDD (“Hornblower”, “Black Hawk Down”, “The Forsyte Saga”), GERARD BUTLER (“Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life: Tomb Raider 2”, “Tomorrow Never Dies”), ANDREW HOWARD (“Below”) and ADRIAN DUNBAR (“Hear My Song”, “The Crying Game”) are all set to star. Filming is anticipated to commence in early 2004.
“SPIVS”
Cast and Crew List to be inserted
according to final end credits
CAST
Jack Pike Ken Stott
Steve Nick Moran
Jenny Kate Ashfield
Goat Dominic Monaghan
Vee Linda Bassett
Nigel Blanchard Jack Dee
O’Brien Paul Kaye
Villa Tamer Hassan
Mr. Rhodes David Gant
Omar Roshan Seth
Rosanna Rita Ora
Anton Christos Zenonos
Pavel T J Ramini
Villa’s Associate Derek Lea
Nigel’s Secretary Elizabeth Berrington
Bob Cavan Clerkin
Mr. Singh Madhav Sharma
Glenn Glenn Durfort
Youth Associate Colin Teague
Observant Waiter Neil Edmond
Sloane Woman Sarah Rowe
Sonia Nadia Ward
Safe-house Girl Julia Hargesheimer
Safe-house Boy Caspar Zialor
Fat Man Adam Daszkiewicz
Stunt Co-Ordinator Marc Cass
CREW
Directed Colin Teague
Produced Hamish Skeggs
Executive Producers Michael Loveday
Jamie Carmichael
Screenplay Gary Young
Colin Teague
Original Story Michael Loveday
Director of Photography Haris Zambarloukos
Film Editor Eddie Hamilton
Music David Julyan
Production Designer Mike Kane
Costume Designer Glenis Foster
Casting Chloe Emmerson
Executive Producer Paul Hart-Wilden
First Assistant Dave Norris
Second Assistant Director Fiona Andrew Loveday
Executive Producer Terry Loveday
Line Producer Gosden
Camera Operator/Steadi Cam Operator Dion Casey
1st Focus Puller Hamish Doyne-Ditmas
2nd Focus Pullers Tristam Cones
Ashley Bond
Clapper Loader Sally Low
Camera Trainees Jackie Dewe Mathews
Dominic Fatchen
Gavin Watson
Polly Morgan
Grip Lucho Zuidema
Grip Assistant Llewellyn Harrison
Art Director Matt Button
Art Director Kay Brown
Standby Props Daniela Faggio
Props Buyer Murray McEwan
Props Coordinator Darko Stavrik
Storyboard Artist Richard Kerry
Prop Assistant Ellen Bannerman
Art Department Runner Jeremy Campbell
Art Department Trainee Gwen Murray
Car Wranglers Elison Hassani
Alan Hassani
Sound Recordist James Kenning
Boom Operator John Hagenstede
Sound Trainee Russell Jeffery
Costume Standby Suzanne Barnes
Costume Buyer Candace Millar
Costume Maker Ann Mockett
Costume Runner Pip Tomerson
Chief Make-Up and Hair Designer Ang Oxley
Make-Up Supervisor Lou Burton
Make-Up Artist Roz Abery
Make-Up Trainee Faye Aydin
Production Co-Ordinator Geoff Weate
Production Assistant Gabby Le Rascle
Production Runner Ed Tull
Floor Runner Dan Precious
Runner / Driver Simon Sanderson
Stand-in / Runner Shane Davey
Associate Casting Director Kirsten Reynolds
Casting Assistant Mercedes Grower
Production Accountant Clive Waldron
Assistant to Producer Diane McCall
Stills Photographer / EPK Kerry Brown
Unit Publicist Anya Noakes
Post Production Supervisor Maria Walker
Assistant Editor Rob Hall
Script Supervisor Linda Baker
Third Assistant Director Jonny Benson
Location Manager Wayne Moser
Location Assistant Jason Wheeler
Gaffer Julian White
Best Boy Dan ‘Babyface’ Lowe
Electricians Ricky Payne
Matt ‘Trigger’ Wilson
Generator Operator Andy Purdy
Construction Company KH Fabrications Ltd
Construction Manager John Campling
Assistant Construction Manager Karen Griffiths
Painters Alan Pearson
John McCloud
Construction Crew Ben Ryan
Ben Rai-Greene
John Williams
Oli van der Vijver
Ed West
Stuart Verity
Evan Schwartz
Paul Cornwell
2nd Unit Director Hamish ‘Evil Claw’ Skeggs
2nd Unit D.O.P. Nick Sadler
Unit Drivers Art Wilmot
Keith Baker
David Speirs
Camera Car Driver Dean Biggs
Facilities Drivers Sean Bottril
Gary Winters
Mike Lords
Tutor Joy Pollard
Unit Manager Martin Versfeld
Unit Nurse Vanessa Mitchell
Caterers Fayre Do’s
Chef H Asfaw
Catering Assistants Jamie Mounsell
Cherly Taylor
Leah Foley
Jamie Cook
Additional Unit
Production Manager Zeno Salmon
1st Assistant Director Marco Ciglia
3rd Assistant Director Adam Barrington
Art Director Josh Harnett
Standby Props Andrew Tomlinson
Art Department Assistant Sally Ferguson
Clapper Loader Carole Ann McGinley
Gaffer Dan ‘Baby Face’ Lowe
Best Boy Mark Clayton
Electricians Jason Wall
Stein Stie
James Ewen
Generator Operator Ken Shepherd
Sound Recordist Henry Milliner
Boom Operator Rob Garcia
Make-Up Artist Roz Abery
Make-Up Assistant Julie Nightingale
Unit Nurse Simon Morgan
Runners Rana Mitra
Ben Dixon
Matt Sheahan
Abkar Allana
Ahmad El-Sanhouri
Telecine Arion
Telecine Rushes Colourist Russell Coppleman
Colour by Deluxe
Laboratory Contact Clive Noakes
Colour Grading Dave Reece
Titles, Digital Effects and Opticals Cineimage
Digital Effects Supervisor Steve Boag
Opticals and Title Supervision Martin Bullard
Title Design and Digital Compositing Matthew Symonds
Optical Camera Dave Gurney
Off-Line Auto Conform Fabienne Arbogast
Client Liason Kerrie Gant
Sound Post Production Reelsound London
Supervising Sound Editor Max Hoskins
Sound Effects Editor Ben Barker
Assistant Sound Editor Alexandra Raveane
A.D.R. Recordist Andrew Stirk
Ted Swanscott
Foley Recordist Barnaby Smyth
Assistant Foley Recordist Owen Bleasdale
Foley Jason Swanscott
Melissa Lake
Sound Re-recorded Videosonic Cinemasound
Re-Recording Mixer Howard Bargoff
Assistant Re-Recording Mixer Marcus Oliver
Dialect Coach Jill McCullough
Dolby Engineer James Seddon
Synthesisers & Programming David Julyan
Additional Drum Programming David Hoskins
Music Orchestrated by Martyn Harry
Music Conducted by Nick Ingman
Orchestra Leader Gavyn Wright
Music Recorded at Air Studios – London
Recorded and Mixed by Steve Orchard
Assisted by Jake Jackson
Auricle Operation Andy Glen
Music Co-Ordination Mandy Oates
Charmian Lyons
Musicians Contractor Isobel Griffiths
Music Preparation Dakota Music Services
Music Supervisor Nicola Fletcher
“Wake”
Away Team remix
Written by Mark Sayfritz Published by Sweet Georgia Browns
Performed by Dog Produced by Mat Fletcher
“Kingston Dub” “I Wanna Be Around”
Written by Mat Fletcher Written by Johnny Mercer and Sadie
Performed by Bentos Vimmersted
“Amatuer Bitpipe” Performed by Jackie Wilson
Written by Mat Fletcher Published by Commander
Performed by Bentos Publications/WB Music Corp.
By kind permission of Warner/Chapell
“Bad Boy” Music Limited
Written by Avon Long & Lillian Armstrong
Radios supplied by Wavevend
Facilities Southern Film Services
Vehicles ELS Action Vehicles
Tracking Vehicles Bickers Action
Background Artists Mad Dog Casting
Armourer Paul Wanklin
Minibus Ace Minibus
Vans supplied by Barnes Hire
Rain Effects Any Effects
Magic Consultant David Redfearn
Insurance AON – Albert G Ruben
Legal Services Marriott Harrison
Harbottle & Lewis
Accountants Johnsons
Shipleys
Camera Equipment supplied by Panavision Cameras, Lenses and
Grip Equipment’
Lighting Equipment supplied by ‘Lee Lighting Ltd’
Negative Cutting Jason Wheeler Film Services
Vehicles ELS: Action Vehicles
Construction Company K H Fabrications Ltd
Post Production Script by Sapex Scripts
Film Stock Kodak
‘Certificate No. 40151 Motion Picture Association Of America’
Special Thanks to:
Catherine Zenonos
Bambo Zenonos
Zenon Zenonos
Vera Sahatciu Ora
Nick Sahatciu
Elena Sahatciu Ora
Johnny “Spiv” Granger
Pat McEnally
Hugh Whittaker
Tracy Pryor
Charlie Todman
Rob Gervie
Ian Robinson
Neil Mockler
Steve Davies
Dennis Weinreich
Richard Conway
Maddy Carragher
Daniel Dark
Candice McDonald
Jackie Leach
Jolyon Symmonds
Harry White
Judith Baugin
Rupert Burnham
Sara Putt Associates
Phil Mulloy
Tristan and Justine Dellaway
Eskimo Design
Justin Keil and Alison Sterling
at “Ignition Films”
Rebecca Hedderly
Clova McCallum
Margery Bone
Hue Kennair Jones
Keiran Parker
Susan Metcalf
Duchamp
Arthur Morrice
Alfred Dunhill
Jeffery West
Arnna Alexander
Craig Stevens
Fran Allen
Ken Brown
1st Glass and Mirror Co Ltd
Damian Brown
Charmaine Paget
Catherine Pitcher
Adrian Street
Kate Cooper
Alison Dickenson
Katie Fuller
Terri Higgs
Kerryann King
John Collie
Charlotte Myers
Jo Nicholas
Abbie Pearce
Dione Silver
Robert Weemes
Filmed on Location and at Three Mills Studio London, England
The story, names, characters and incidents portrayed in this photoplay are fictitious. No identification with or similarity to actual persons or to actual events is intended or should be inferred.
Copyright © Carnaby Productions 2003
CARNABY PICTURES
GET READY FOR
“THE DROP”
Carnaby Pictures announce THE DROP, a gripping World War II drama set against the backdrop of little known true events which took place in September 1944. The film will star IOAN GRUFFUDD (“Hornblower”, “The Forsyte Saga”) and ?. A British, French and German co-production, the share offer was launched under the Enterprise Investment scheme in April 2003, with the film due to go into production in spring 2004 on location in Europe and Britain.
Operation Market Garden saw 35,000 British troops dropped behind enemy lines in German occupied Holland. We follow the experiences of seven very different British soldiers who find themselves separated from the Allied invasion, trapped in a claustrophobic, bullet-ridden chateau, with the blood of three Polish paratroopers on their hands – and an unseen, lone sniper, determined to pick them off one by one. They have inadvertently stumbled across a horde of plundered art treasures, which will set them on a collision course with the Nazis who want to reclaim their horde. Whilst our men are for the most part civilians in military guise, their German counterparts are precision personified, highly motivated, cold, hard killers…
THE DROP will also star ANDREW HOWARD (“The Lion in Winter”, “Band of Brothers”), ADRIAN DUNBAR (“The Crying Game”, “Hear My Song”), JASON HUGHES (“Killing Me Softly”), MATTHEW RHYS (“Deathwatch”) and German actor TIL SCHWEIGER (“King Arthur”, “Tomb Raider”).
THE DROP is a Carnaby Pictures production. The Executive Producer is Mike Loveday, the Director is COLIN TEAGUE (“Spivs”, “Shooters”) who co-wrote the script with GARY YOUNG (“Spivs”, “Shooters”). THE DROP is produced by Hamish Skeggs (“Spivs”). Investors will be given an added bonus – the chance to appear as extras in the film.
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